Sri Lanka’s new leftist president dissolves parliament, calls snap election

• Sri Lanka’s new leftist president dissolves parliament, calls snap election
• General election to be held on November 14
• Anura Kumara Dissanayake won the presidency last Saturday and appointed Harini Amarasuriya as the country’s new PM

Sri Lanka’s new leftist president dissolves parliament, calls snap election

Sri Lanka’s newly elected president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has officially dissolved the 225-member parliament, setting the stage for an early general election. Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) alliance, which held only three seats in the dissolved parliament, is aiming for a stronger mandate.

The snap election is scheduled for November 14, almost a full year ahead of the original timeline, according to a government gazette announcement. 

In a significant move, Dissanayake appointed Harini Amarasuriya as the country’s new prime minister on Tuesday. This marks the third time a woman has taken on the role in Sri Lanka’s history.

Dissanayake, who won the presidency last Saturday, had indicated that he would dissolve parliament to align it with the people’s mandate, stating there was “no point continuing with a parliament that is not in line with what the people want.”

Sri Lanka’s last general election was held in August 2020, with members of parliament elected for a five-year term.